Ask E. Jean: Do I Have to Hug Every Woman When I Greet Them?

Dear E. Jean: In an all-female get-together, is it appropriate to hug only the ones you feel closest with and say "hello" to the others? Or should I hug them all so nobody feels rejected? This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm not American and feel insecure sometimes in social or business meetings. —Faux Paulette

Miss Faux, my flower box: I personally like to walk into a room, throw my arms around any woman who looks better than I, and ruffle her hair. On the other hand, if I'm already in the room and a female friend I know enters, I screech, hurl my glass of champagne into the fireplace, and embrace her with both arms, and sometimes one leg, depending on the height of my heels.

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These are my only two rules. For you, however, it is less complicated: Hug it out with everyone you feel like hugging (except your boss), and shake hands affectionately with those you don't.

The only thing to do is to hug one's friends tight and do one's job.—Edith Wharton